The life of an animal is in its blood, that’s why no one among the children of Israel was to eat the blood of animal. The life of an animal is in its blood, the blood is life, and that’s the key to the sacrificial system and atonement. This will be another discussion that transitions from a chapter in Leviticus to Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

*Jesus Paid it All , lyrics by Elvina M Hall, 1865; music composed by John T Grape, 1868. This song is in the public domain.

Good news, no skin diseases or bodily fluids in the reading today. These are the instructions for Aaron (and other high priests that come after him) to enter the veil of separation and sprinkle the blood of atonement on the Mercy Seat.

It's not always pretty but if you hear me out I will try to make it worth your while. This chapter is probably not safe for work so make sure your earbuds are connected, only listen in the car if you're by yourself or at home after you put the kids to bed. Not everything in the Bible is rated G.

Leviticus 14 describes the cleansing process of those healed from leprosy and what to do about mold infecting a home. Reading through Leviticus is not exciting and there is nothing glamorous about it. Studies suggest that only 10 to 30% of Christians have read the entire Bible and that only 11% of Americans read the Bible every day. But here you are, hanging in there. And hey, if you want to just listen for a few minutes each day, I will read it to you.

Leprosy, also known as Hansen’s disease, still exists today but is treated with antibiotics. There was no effective treatment or cure in the ancient world and the term leprosy was used to describe a variety of different skin diseases and conditions. The key was examination, identification and when necessary, isolation. Preventing the spread of the disease was their best defense for the health of the entire camp.

This chapter is about the days of purification after a woman gives birth. Because of Luke 2, it gives us an opportunity to talk about the baby Jesus and how Joseph and Mary were observant Jews.

Food laws – If you have been looking forward to long lists of things that God told Moses and Aaron their people could and could not eat, this is your time to shine. If you want to discuss it further we can discuss but we need to read the text first. Let’s look at it together.

God said “Do this” and Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu, priests ordained to serve the LORD in the Holy Place, did something else. We don’t know exactly what; we don’t know if it was a mistake, if they just didn’t care, if they were close to being right… but they did not follow the instructions God had given. The people of Israel are about to learn a hard lesson about God being serious about his laws and statutes, especially with the religious leaders who are responsible for his people. Shepherds are held to a higher standard because God loves his sheep.